Convolution and Equidistribution explores an important aspect of number theory--the theory of exponential sums over finite fields and their Mellin transforms--from a new, categorical point of view. The book presents fundamentally important results and a plethora of examples, opening up new directions in the subject. The finite-field Mellin transform (of a function on the multiplicative group of a finite field) is defined by summing that function against variable multiplicative characters. The basic question considered in the book is how the values of the Mellin transform are distributed (in a probabilistic sense), in cases where the input function is suitably algebro-geometric. This question is answered by the book's main theorem, using a mixture of geometric, categorical, and group-theoretic methods. By providing a new framework for studying Mellin transforms over finite fields, this book opens up a new way for researchers to further explore the subject.

Convolution and Equidistribution explores an important aspect of number theory--the theory of exponential sums over finite fields and their Mellin transforms--from a new, categorical point of view. The book presents fundamentally important results and a plethora of examples, opening up new directions in the subject. The finite-field Mellin transform (of a function on the multiplicative group of a finite field) is defined by summing that function against variable multiplicative characters. The basic question considered in the book is how the values of the Mellin transform are distributed (in a probabilistic sense), in cases where the input function is suitably algebro-geometric. This question is answered by the book's main theorem, using a mixture of geometric, categorical, and group-theoretic methods. By providing a new framework for studying Mellin transforms over finite fields, this book opens up a new way for researchers to further explore the subject.

Probability measures on algebraic-topological structures such as topological semi groups, groups, and vector spaces have become of increasing importance in recent years for probabilists interested in the structural aspects of the theory as well as for analysts aiming at applications within the scope of probability theory. In order to obtain a natural framework for a first systematic presentation of the most developed part of the work done in the field we restrict ourselves to prob ability measures on locally compact groups. At the same time we stress the non Abelian aspect. Thus the book is concerned with a set of problems which can be regarded either from the probabilistic or from the harmonic-analytic point of view. In fact, it seems to be the synthesis of these two viewpoints, the initial inspiration coming from probability and the refined techniques from harmonic analysis which made this newly established subject so fascinating. The goal of the presentation is to give a fairly complete treatment of the central limit problem for probability measures on a locally compact group. In analogy to the classical theory the discussion is centered around the infinitely divisible probability measures on the group and their relationship to the convergence of infinitesimal triangular systems.

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"Convolution and Equidistribution" explores an important aspect of number theory--the theory of exponential sums over finite fields and their Mellin transforms--from a new, categorical point of view. The book presents fundamentally important results and a plethora of examples, opening up new directions in the subject. The finite-field Mellin transform (of a function on the multiplicative group of a finite field) is defined by summing that function against variable multiplicative characters. The basic question considered in the book is how the values of the Mellin transform are distributed (in a probabilistic sense), in cases where the input function is suitably algebro-geometric. This question is answered by the book's main theorem, using a mixture of geometric, categorical, and group-theoretic methods. By providing a new framework for studying Mellin transforms over finite fields, this book opens up a new way for researchers to further explore the subject.

This set of lectures provides a structured introduction to the concept of equidistribution in number theory. This concept is of growing importance in many areas, including cryptography, zeros of L-functions, Heegner points, prime number theory, the theory of quadratic forms, and the arithmetic aspects of quantum chaos. The volume brings together leading researchers from a range of fields who reveal fascinating links between seemingly disparate areas.